Motorcycle & Scooter Keys: what to note first

After a winter under a cover, the steering lock will not budge. The key seats fully in the barrel, but turning it meets a wall of resistance that no amount of wiggling moves past.

Worth answering before the call

Is the steering lock turning freely, or does it feel stuck? Has anyone already tried to cut or copy this key elsewhere? What is the make, model and year of the machine?

Can a rusted or gritty lock still be opened and given a new key?

In most cases, yes. The lock is cleaned out, its wafers and springs cleared of grit and corrosion, and the mechanism dressed with whatever lubricant its own maker specifies before a new key is cut or tested. Only a lock that has corroded to the point of cracking or seizing solid tends to need outright replacement rather than cleaning, and that is usually visible once the lock is opened up for inspection.

Can a scooter's under-seat or helmet-box lock be brought onto the ignition key?

On many serviceable, compatible locks, yes, using the same rekeying approach used for a seat or fuel cap lock: the storage lock is opened, its wafers replaced to match the ignition's combination, and the result tested with the finished key. Some helmet locks are simpler mechanisms than a full wafer lock, in which case the locksmith checks first whether it can accept a matching cut at all before promising an outcome.